BBC1 schedule full of special broadcasts commemorating Prince Philip on the 9th (local time). [Photo by BBC iPlayer homepage capture]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] On the 9th (local time), BBC scheduled numerous programs to commemorate Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who passed away at the age of 99, but it was revealed that they faced strong protests from viewers.
According to the US NBC network, the British public broadcaster BBC canceled all programs scheduled until 6 p.m. on the day Prince Philip passed away. Instead, during that time, special programs commemorating Prince Philip, including interviews with Prince Charles and Princess Anne, were aired.
Popular programs such as "MasterChef" and "Gardeners' World" were replaced with "Prince Philip: Fond Memories" and "Prince Philip: Life of Royalty," and even on BBC4, there was only a notice of cancellation until 10:45 p.m. that day.
A BBC spokesperson said in the afternoon, "As a public broadcaster, we appropriately reflected the sad news in our schedule," and added, "Programs like 'Gogglebox' and 'The Circle,' which were scheduled during peak time, are planned to be aired."
Afterwards, the BBC complaints page was flooded with protests from viewers.
Some netizens strongly criticized the BBC, likening it to a state propaganda channel, while others expressed regret that the dramas they watch were canceled.
Meanwhile, Prince Philip passed away at Windsor Castle at the age of 99, just over two months before his 100th birthday. He was hospitalized in February for treatment of an infection other than COVID-19, and underwent heart surgery last month. After completing treatment on the 16th of last month, he was discharged and stayed at Windsor Castle.
He married Elizabeth in November 1947, and when Elizabeth ascended the throne as Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, he became the queen's consort. He held the position of the queen's husband for over 70 years, the longest in history.
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